At The Beginning
by SiriusHorcrux1018
Summary: AU  For Sirius Black, it was the con of a life time:  all he had to do was return a missing girl home, and he'd be rich.  But he never counted on falling in love.


**A/N: **I know, I know. I really shouldn't be starting another story when I have "Shadow Of Love" (House, MD) in progress. But I was watching the 1997 version of _Anastasia _today, and realized how awesome it'd be to have, say…the Harry Potter characters reenact the movie in their own way. Yes, it does not follow the movie action-for-action, or word-for-word, but it's the same basic plot…only not. You'll see what I mean.

Yes, yes, the story is very AU and features the Marauders more than the others (like Harry and them), but that's not to say that they'll be completely out of the story.

Remember, I'm testing the waters here, and would really love to hear what you have to say. But please, if you're going to criticize me, please give me a side of positive-ness to go with it; tell me how to improve.

Please enjoy and review!!

**At The Beginning**

**Chapter One**

It was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, softly lighting the large dining hall that had been decorated in soft shades of purple and blue and green for the party tonight. The wall-length windows had been revealed for the evening, the deep purple curtains pulled to the side and tied with silver tassels.

The deep purple carpeted steps muffled the heeled steps of Grandmother Tatiana Buttona, as she waltzed down the steps in the hall. The deep purple sleeveless dress with the dipped 'V' neckline swept itself around the woman. Her brown eyes were lidded with a light layer of lilac eyeshadow, and the lashes blackened with a thin coat of mascara. Around her neck was a diamond choker necklace with small amethyst stones embedded into the small space between each diamond. Her brown hair—graying with age—was short and curled.

As the aging woman crossed the floor, greeting her guests, a smile graced her lips. She'd be going to England—her home. She was in Paris, France, visiting her family for her granddaughter's ninth birthday, and the huge celebration was in favour of her granddaughter.

Many people littered the hall; friends of her children and grandchildren, other family members, family members that her children were associated with in some form or another. Many of them had been invited to the party in an attempt to be impressed by the family; some of her grandchildren were coming of age and being betrothed by their parents, and thus, linked strong families together.

A laugh reached the ears of Tatiana and she looked to her left to find the birthday girl—and her youngest granddaughter—Anastasia, dancing with a young boy. Or that's what it looked like they were doing. The two children were laughing and moving around in circles, so it looked like they were attempting to do the waltz.

Anastasia laughed again and then caught the eye of Tatiana. Smiling at her companion, she said something unheard—by Tatiana—and then quickly left his side to run up to her grandmother. Her small hands clutched the dark blue silk of the sleeveless dress she was wearing, her straight brown hair pulled up into a half-ponytail. Her green eyes gleamed in the dim lighting of the hall.

"Grandmother!" she called happily as she came to a stop before the woman. Crossing her right foot behind her left, the girl curtsied, as was expected of a lady. Tatiana smiled at the idea of her granddaughter being elegant and lady-like.

"Hello dear." She greeted and then blinked as the girl pulled out a piece of paper out of a hidden pocket in her dress. "What's this?"

"A picture of me." The girl beamed. "So when you go back to London, you can look at this and remember me."

A smile adorned the slightly wrinkled lips. "Why dear, I could never forget you." Her hand brushed away the girl's bangs gently, and she leant down to kiss her forehead.

"Grandmother," Anastasia asked a few minutes later as the pair made their way over to the long buffet-like table to take a seat. "Why must you go back to London?"

Tatiana smiled but just opened up her purple clutch purse and reached inside, pulling out what appeared to be an egg-shaped box and handed it to her granddaughter.

"For you, Anastasia."

Anastasia gasped slightly and then smiled, taking the box into her hands. "Is it a jewelry box?"

Wordlessly, Tatiana removed a necklace from the clutch and slipped the circular disk into a hidden slot at the back of the box and turned it clockwise. Suddenly, the lid of the box flipped open and a small stage arose from the bottom of the box, with two figures—a man and a woman, both dressed very elegantly in a three piece suit and an evening gown—beginning to spin around in a circle. A slow, peaceful melody began drifting out from the box and Anastasia squealed excitedly.

"It plays our lullaby!"

Another chuckle escaped Tatiana; her granddaughter seemed excited and loved every little thing about life. "Yes, it does. So you can play it before you go to bed, and imagine that I'm singing it to you."

Tatiana lifted the chain and slipped it over Anastasia's bowed head and then once more kissed her forehead before softly singing.

"On the wind…cross the sea…hear this song, and remember…"

Anastasia smiled and begin drifting from side to side, and joined in. "Soon you'll be home with me…"

Anastasia turned around in her spot and smiled again, singing with Tatiana. "Once upon a December…"

Anastasia curtsied once more and the two shared a laugh before Tatiana took the music box back, only to hand Anastasia the silver chain with a small silver disc attached, a blue sapphire stone embedded into the middle of the disc. "Read what it says."

Squinting her green eyes, the girl held the small disc up to eye-level, gingerly held between her two hands. "Together…in London." she read, before gasping and shrieking. "Really Grandmother? Oh, yay!"

Once more launching herself at Tatiana, Anastasia enveloped her grandmother in a tight hug, thanking her repeatedly for the beautiful gift and receiving a "Happy Birthday dear Anastasia" in return.

Suddenly, the lights began to turn off one by one, and a cold feeling drifted over the great hall. The guests began to part ways as a tall man with dark brown hair and cold brown eyes strutted his way into the party, dressed in robes of black.

Lord Edward, Tatiana's son stepped forwards, a deep frown set on his face, dark brown hair brushed back into an elegant style. His black three-piece suit was just as elegant as the man was.

"You dare return here!" Edward demanded, throwing a hand out at the young man.

"But I am your confidant," the mysterious man pointed out, offering the Lord of the house a cold smile.

Edward laughed bitterly. "Confidant? Hah! You are a traitor!" He curled his fingers into a fist, leaving the index finger pointed at the man. "Get out! Leave, and this time, don't come back!"

The mystery man frowned heavily, glaring at the Lord. "You think you can banish the great Tom Riddle?" Digging through his robes, the man pulled out what looked to be a vial of bright green liquid floating inside, on a brown leather cord. "By the magic vested in me, I banish you with a curse!"

The guests gasped and Anastasia grabbed onto Tatiana tightly, burying herself into her grandmother's side. Her green eyes remained locked on her father and the man she had known for years.

"I swear to you!" Tom Riddle screamed at the guests, before spinning around on his toe to point at Edward. "Mark my words, you and your family will die within a fortnight! I will not rest until I see the end of the Buttona family line forever!"

Pointing his vial at a nearby chandelier, a green burst of light shot out of the vial, and hit the chain hooked to the ceiling. It dropped the chandelier, who crashed to the floor. A few guests screamed in fear of the act as the mysterious Tom Riddle turned on his heel and strutted out of the hall, slamming the doors behind him and leaving the hall in total silence.

* * *

Anastasia was scared. No, frightened. _Terrified_.

People were running around, destroying the gates leading to the property, destroying sculptures outside on the lawn and smashing windows as they tried to enter the Buttona house.

Grasping the hand of Tatiana as she followed her parents and siblings out of the house and—hopefully—to safety, she suddenly widened her eyes.

_The music box!_

In the time that the house had been ambushed, and everyone in the family was attempting to scurry away to safety, Anastasia had forgotten to take the music box with her when she had left her room.

"My music box! I have to get it!" she cried before snatching her hand away from Tatiana's and running back to her room.

"Anastasia!" Tatiana yelled before beginning to run after her granddaughter. They had to get out of here before Tom Riddle's curse came true. They had to get out of here before they died.

Throwing her door to her bedroom open, Anastasia allowed herself to look around one final time. Her light pink walls had photos pinned to them; paintings of her family, pictures she had drawn. A stack of stuffed animals were shoved into the corner and a large dark brown leather chair was near her bed; the pink covers thrown back to the bottom of the bed.

Anastasia ran to the middle of the floor where a large two story doll house stood. Sitting in the bedroom of the doll house was the silver and blue egg-shaped music box. The silver chain (and key to the music box) felt cold against the skin of her neck. Since being given it at her birthday, Anastasia had never taken it off.

Tatiana ran into the bedroom and over to Anastasia, wrapping a hand around her granddaughter's wrist and tugging on it. "Anastasia, we must go now!"

Gun shots and yelling rang out through the hallway, just outside of the closed doors and Anastasia shrieked in surprise.

As the two moved towards the doors, knowing there was no other way out, the same boy who had been dancing with Anastasia at her birthday party joined them and began to tug Tatiana and Anastasia to the wall.

"Go out this way! Through the servants' quarters!" the boy shouted as he opened a panel in the wall and shoved them through it.

As Anastasia ran past the boy to get into the cubby hole, the music box—which she had been clutching in her hands—was dropped to the ground.

"My music box!"

"Go!" the boy insisted again, shoving her through and closing the panel on her.

A second later, the bedroom doors burst open and in ran three soldiers.

"Where are they, boy?" One soldier demanded, his eyes set on the child.

The boy grabbed a book from the bedside table and threw it at them in an attempt to protect himself for even a second.

Growling, the soldier curled a fist and slammed it into the child's face, knocking him to the ground before kicking the child in the rib cage hard. The boy groaned and stood up to try and fight them but was only knocked back down again with another punch to the face. As he fell back this time, the boy had stumbled and slammed his head on the corner of the bedside table, his glittering blue eyes closing.

* * *

Pants escaped the lips of the solitary pair as Tatiana and Anastasia raced across the lawn of the large estate, hands clasped together.

"We're almost there! Keep up!" Tatiana encouraged.

Finally reaching the gates, Anastasia suddenly plummeted to the ground, letting go of Tatiana's hand as Tom Riddle hopped down from where had been sitting on the brick wall that was on either side of the gate. There, he had been watching the attack take place, barking out orders and taking care of any of the Buttonas who had decided to try and escape.

Anastasia shrieked in surprise as he tackled her and struggled to get out from underneath him. Somewhat succeeding, she managed to get out from under him but shrieked again as he grabbed her ankle.

"Get off!"

"No, child! I'm not letting you leave!" He declared as he pulled on her ankle once more and dragged her to him.

Gasping as he pulled out a small pocket knife, and flicked it open, Anastasia suddenly grabbed his hand and wrestled him for the pocket knife. Wrenching it out of his hand, she slammed it into his shoulder and, upon his roar of agony, she used her left leg to kick him.

His grasp on her ankle released and she scurried up, once more taking her grandmother's hand and running towards town.

When they reached the busy streets of Paris, the grandmother and child began shoving their way through the crowd to get to the train station.

"Hurry darling!" Tatiana shouted as she made way for her granddaughter to follow her.

Seeing the train was beginning to move, Tatiana ran as hard as she could, with Anastasia right behind her, and Tatiana reached out a hand. The few people lingering on the caboose of the train, took her hand and pulled, helping the woman onto the train.

"Grandmother!" Anastasia called once more, and Tatiana turned around to see that her granddaughter was continuing to run with all her might beside the train.

Thrusting a hand out to the girl while using the other to hold tightly onto the railing, Tatiana ordered Anastasia to take her hand. "Don't let go of my hand!"

"Don't let go!" Anastasia sobbed, still running with all her might, her hand clutching Tatiana's the best she could.

But her hand was slipping, the train speeding up much too fast for Anastasia to keep running. With her hand out of Tatiana's reach, the girl screamed and fell onto her back on the wooden platform, a dull 'thud' ringing out for just a second. The girl's green eyes closed, the silver chain with "Together in London" resting beside her head, having escaped her shirt.

"Anastasia!" Tatiana cried, struggling against the hold of the other patrons on the caboose. "Anastasia!"

But the girl did not move or appear to hear her grandmother's calls and the train kept chugging on until Paris, France was no longer a home, just a horrible and tragic memory.

* * *

**A/N: **Remember what I said guys, please—if you're going to rip this apart, at least give me some tips on how to improve. I'm just testing the waters here. Please review! 


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